Jailed Ex-Enron CEO Jeff Skilling May Be Released Early

Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

The U.S. Justice Department says it is discussing entering into an agreement with Skilling which might reduce his sentence of more than 24 years. The possibility of a sentencing agreement was made public this week in a notice to the victims of Enron’s collapse. The notice doesn’t specify how Skilling’s sentence could be affected if an agreement is reached.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment, and Skilling’s attorney did not return a phone call or e-mail seeking comment. But CNBC reports that Judge Sim Lake, who sentenced Skilling, held a private conference call with attorneys from both sides last month about a potential deal.

Skilling has been waiting to be re-sentenced after a federal panel ruled in 2009 that a sentencing guideline had been misapplied. He was convicted in 2006 for his role in Enron’s downfall.